Holdenville FFA has received a special grant! The Making Things Better Grant Program is aimed at developing and advancing Oklahoma’s rural communities. Their grant was written to provide further aide to their clean up project partnering with Holdenville Lake! They will receive recognition at the Oklahoma FFA Convention next month!

The 13 Annual Native American Convocataion will be held on Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. at the Buck Family Pavilion. Keynote speaker will be Celena George, Miss Indian OU 2020/2022. The event is sponsored by the Council of Holdenville American Indian Alumni and for social distancing purposes it will be held as a drive-in style. Everyone is invited to attend.

On February 27, 1889 Illinois representative William M. Springer added section 13 to the annual Indian Appropriation bill which authorized the President to open the lands to settlement through issuance of a proclamation. Known as the Springer Amendment, this rider authorized settlement under the provisions of the Homestead Act of 1862 and it denied the original settlers their squatter’s rights. They were to be expelled and the lands were to be settled by a land run. The Act as amended was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on March 2, 1889. During his third week in office, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation on March 23, 1889 to settle the 1,887,796 acres. In what would be known as the Run of ‘89, eligible persons were authorized to enter at noon on April 22, 1889 for the purpose of occupying a quarter section (160 acres, or ½ mile by ½ mile square). Oklahoma’s first land run opened all or part of the present counties of Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne. Tent cities emerged at the first settlements of Oklahoma City, Kingfisher, El Reno, Norman, Guthrie and Stillwater.

Those who say there’s no such thing as destiny need to meet Jack Waksal and Sam Ron, victims who met during the Holocaust, and who met again 79 years later in South Florida. Having endured slave labor shoulder to shoulder in the Pionki Labor Camp in Poland, the two were separated after Waksal escaped into the forest, and Ron was moved to a different camp that was ultimately liberated.

Jody and Speedy Briggs and family eagerly welcomed son James Ingham and wife Ezra home for a visit after being in Japan for 18 months. The couple is stationed in Japan in the Navy for another 1 1/2 years. Pictured above are (back row) Jody Briggs (mother), Jane Sullivan (grandmother), Speedy Briggs (dad), (middle row) Jeremy Green (brother-in-law), Miriam Green (sister), Jenna Briggs (sister), John Richmond (brother), James Ingham, (front row) Georgia Green (niece), Aria Green (niece), Ezra Ingham.

APRIL 20 TH 1898: The Spanish-American War begins. After the USS Maine exploded in the harbor of Havana during the Cuban War for Independence, the United States entered the war.

MARRIAGE Jerry Mac Bowen and Kimberly Denise Walker, both of Wetumka CIVIL Jackie Lee Siegrist Jr. vs.

Faith Freewill Baptist hosted the Holdenville Ministerial Alliance Community Good Friday Service last Friday night. One of the highlights of the service was Kobe Johnson, great grandson of Rev. Richard and Sister Turner, founders of the Loaves and Fishes Ministry. Kobe spoke of his legacy of godly great grandparents, both Rev. and Sister Turner and Bill and Loyce Muse. He also spoke of our call to give and serve as Christians in our communities. This past year, the Holdenville Ministerial Alliance served 2080 people. They gave away over 66,000 pounds (over 33.31 tons!) of food to citizens in Holdenville. The Alliance helped an estimated 1, 728 familes over the past 12 months. They continue the legacy of self sacrifice and selfless giving which Rev. Turner always modeled. Rev. Turner’s great grandson Kobe Johson is pictured above with his family. Front Row (L-R): Sister Kailyn Johnson, Great-Grandmother Loyce Muse, Grandmother Laquita Turner, Mother Amie Johnson. Back row (L-R): Clinton Roland, Kobe Johnson, and Father Darin Johnson. More pictures page 2.

Entry level employees received a raise last Tuesday night at the Holdenville City Council meeting. The city has long been faced with the problem of losing good employees to other entities who offer them more money and city employees have long been faced with the problem of not being able to earn a living wage working for the city. Mayor Massad commented that the council has been trying to get all employees up over $10.00 an hour for over a year and a half but the money just wasn’t in the budget. He stated that he believes now the finance committee has been able to work this wage increase into the current budget. Councilman Lynn Lantz, chairman of the Finance Committee, commented that he and fellow finance committee member, Councilwoman Julie West had found money in the budget for the remainder of this fiscal year to go ahead and approve these raises. He further stated that they were working on next fiscal year’s budget set to start on July 1 of this year and was confident there would be enough money to sustain the amount given in raises. 18 employees were recommended to the council for a raise from $9.12 an hour to $10.00 an hour. There was no discussion among the council before Councilwoman Lori Babb made a motion to approve the raises, seconded by Councilwoman Jeanna Gordon. The measure passed with a unanimous vote.

King David Olney and Queen Stevi Huff Ryan Rodgers and Kayton Bruner THE SOFTBALL GIRLS TRADED THEIR JERSEYS FOR STUNNING DRESS AT THIS YEAR’S PROM. Pictured are: Isabella Adam, Jessica Moore, Leah’Lah Bowen, Emmy Mariott, Belle McFarland, Stevi Huff, Cheyenne Fixico.